“One half of it super fun, funky dance music—it gets a little bit dirty, a little bit fast—music to party to. And on the flip side of the CD there’s more introspective, slower, atmospheric ballads—songs about the hard stuff — because I think with all the highs come some lows. I wanted to give a real, wide portrait of who I am.”

Singer/songwriter/fetish enthusiast Perfume Genius (a.k.a. Mike Hadreas) has released a music video in which he canoodles with macho gay porn star Arpad Miklos. In “Hood,” off PG’s forthcoming sophomore LP Put Your Back N 2 It, the hulking, hairy Hungarian tenderly (i.e. fetishistically) applies make-up to his wispy co-star.
“The song’s about how if someone knew you 100%, they would go away,” Hadreas explained in an interview with Pitchfork. “So, in the video, I didn’t acknowledge him until I was fully done-up in all my gear and my wig. That’s how I feel in general. That freaky shit underneath– that’s kind of who I am, really.”
As for casting Miklos? “I don’t like the idea that people would automatically think something is nasty,” he added. “If I just got my boyfriend to be in there with me, people could just pass it off as cute because we’re both boyish. I like the idea of not having things be so obvious.”Put Your Back N 2 It is out Feb. 21 on Matador Records. Perfume Genius will tour North America in March and April. Check out the full itinerary after the jump.
(via Pitchfork)

We wrote about this exciting new British pop band once before, and now is your chance to win the new Skeleton EP from The Good Natured. Available digitally now.THE CONTEST: What is the name of the 2008 debut EP by The Good Natured?THE RULES: Please email your contest entry along with your full name, North American shipping address, and telephone number to [email protected]. All personal information is collected in accordance with our privacy policy.
The first correct responses will win a copy of The Good Natured “Skeleton” EP! Winners will be announced on our Facebook page next week.After the jump find tour dates and a new video of The Good Natured playing their song “Skeleton.”

In the mystical music video for “Spellwork,” the third single taken from Austra‘s 2011 album Feel It Break, band ringleader Katie Stelmanis infiltrates a coven of sexy pagan pilgrim chicks and chows down on some juicy-looking watermelon. It was directed by Yelena Yemchuk, the photographer and filmmaker that also helmed the video for one of our karaoke staples: “Thirty-Three” by The Smashing Pumpkins.
Austra recently landed on our Top 10 Gayest Songs of 2011 list, which you can read here.

Relive a moment from 2005 with me, won’t you? At the World Music Awards that year, Amerie, Rihanna, and Teairra Mari performed a version of Destiny’s Child’s hit “Loose My Breath.” Only — because this was the pre-edgy, pre-fashion fixture Rihanna — Barbados’ #1 girl was actually #2 in the lineup. And where is Amerie these days? Mmhmm.